Book One: Spartan Isabella Bluestar

Chapter One: Meeting

A little girl sits hidden under rubble. She is injured, bleeding. Her tawney skin covered in dirt and blood that is not all hers. She weeps brokenly into her knees. Her light brown hair is a mess, some of it even torn off as she escaped the bad aliens.

Everyone she knows is gone. They're all dead. Bleeding in the streets. She knows this because she saw it. Her mother had hidden her in the closet. Through the cracks in the door, she watched. She watched as the bad aliens came and took her mother. She watched her mother getting cut down.

The bad aliens found her not long after. They dragged her out of the house. She tried to resist screaming for help and hitting the alien's hand. But it was in vain. The bad alien wasn't fazed, rather it laughed at her struggling.

However, she never gave up. She managed get away whilst the bad alien was distracted. As she escaped from the bad aliens, she watched her friends, their parents, and her neighbors meet a similar fate to her mother.

If only she had done something. She should have tried to do something. She could have saved them if she did. And now all she has left is the clip with four golden stars. A clip that she was told was made by her father. The stars were representing four of the strongest people her father had ever met.

And speaking of her father, she has only known of him through stories told by her mother. Her father had passed away when she was barely a year old. It surprised her seeing how her mother had remained single for as long as she did. As young as she is, being only six years old, she knew certain things. She also proved to be much smarter and stronger than the other kids in her class. Something her mother had said she got from her father.

If only she had used those smarts and strength. Perhaps she could have saved the others. No, she knows that she could have saved them if she tried. But she didn't. Instead, she cowered and ran.

She hears footsteps. Instantly she backs up as much as she can in her hiding spot. Covers her mouth with both hands and holds back any sound that desperately wants out. She can't make a sound. She doesn't want to be discovered by the bad aliens. She doesn't want to die. She wants to wake up and realize that this is all just a bad dream. She'll see her mother again who will be worried and make her some hot chocolate to help calm her down.

The bad alien shouts in surprise. It then makes a battle cry drawing its weapon. There is a fight. But the fight doesn't last long. She watches as the bad alien falls to the ground lifelessly. She then hears what sounds like humans talking.

Cautiously she crawls to the entrance of her hiding spot and peeks out. She sees four armored giants standing over the bad aliens. These armored giants look human, but she isn't sure if they are.

One of the giants wears olive green armor. Looks like a male. There is another with white armor. Looks to be similar than the olive-green giant. So, she thinks the white armored person is a female. There seems to be another male. However, his armor is a blue almost teal like color. And finally, there is the second female with brownish armor.

It is the olive green one that notices her. She ducks back into her hiding spot, afraid. The olive-green giant slowly walks over to the entrance of her hiding spot. He kneels down to her level trying to see her.

"It's okay." He says his voice deep but oddly kind. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are you okay?"

She slowly crawls out looking at the golden visor before her. The giant notices the injuries on her left leg and right arm. He holds in a sigh relieved that she at least survived the ordeal.

"Chief?" Asks the white armored one with a seemly British voice.

Chief, as the white armored one calls him, looks over his shoulder and holds a finger to his face. Signaling to them to be quiet. He then looks back at the girl and holds out his hand for her to take. And she does, albeit timidly.

"A child!?" Gasps the white armored one.

"Kelly, you're scaring her." Chief lightly scolds before turning back to the young girl asking, "What's your name?"

"I-Isabella. Isabella Bluestar." She answers.

"Nice to meet you Isabella my name is Master Chief-117." He introduces. "And this is my team Spartan-087, Spartan-104, Spartan-058."

"Seriously? She's never going to remember whose who with those." Says the white armored one sighing as she approaches Isabella and goes, "Sorry about that. I know those are probably very confusing for you. My name is Kelly. The blue one is Fred. The brown is Linda. And this big guy is usually called Chief."

"Why? Did he change his name because his old one made people laugh?" Isabella asks shocking the Spartans by her question.

"No. It is just what the vast majority call him. Think of it as a second name." Kelly replies.

"Like a nickname?" Isabella proceeds to inquire.

"Exactly." Kelly smiles under her helmet. "Now important question, do you think you can stand?"

Isabella looks down at her leg. She tries to move it but winces and bites her lip. Chief carefully picks her up. Proceeding to carry her in his arm. The blood loss and the exhaustion is finally kicking in.

"Let's get moving. Fred call for evac and sick-bay." Chief orders.

Isabella yawns and begins into his armored chest. She looks surprisingly comfortable in his arms despite the situation. There is also something about that none of them can place but it feels familiar to them.

"Copy." Fred says.

"Stay awake Isabella." Chief says lightly shaking her awake.

"Tired." She says.

"I know but you need to stay awake." He says as he and the Spartans bolt it toward the evac LZ.